Stafford, VA. Deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office arrested an intoxicated suspect on Monday night following a pursuit on Interstate 95. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.

On April 30, 2018 at approximately 8:11 p.m., Deputy Alex Smith was in the area of U.S. 17 and Washington Street when he observed a vehicle traveling northbound on U.S. 17 at a high rate of speed. The deputy immediately activated his emergency equipment and turned his vehicle around at the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 17. In the meantime, he alerted other units in the area to the suspect vehicle’s location.

Other units in the area located the suspect vehicle in the area of U.S. 17 and Short Street. The vehicle then turned on to I-95 southbound, at which point 1st Sgt. Brandon Morris activated his emergency equipment and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle pulled onto the right shoulder at the 133.4 mile marker and slowed down, but did not stop. The vehicle then accelerated and began weaving through traffic in an attempt to elude law enforcement.

The suspect continued to flee law enforcement through Fredericksburg and into Spotsylvania County. Shortly after entering Spotsylvania, Deputy Gregory Gabrielli observed the suspect slam on his brakes in an attempt to initiate a crash. Deputy Smith detected the smell of burnt rubber and noticed debris in the air following the attempted crash.

The deputy pulled ahead of the suspect vehicle in an attempt to get the driver to slow down. The suspect tried to get around the deputy’s vehicle, and ended up brushing up against the rear passenger side bumper area.

Shortly thereafter, the suspect vehicle turned left onto the grass median and then onto the northbound travel lanes of I-95 before pulling into a ditch on the right side of the road. Deputy Smith found a safe area to cross the highway and observed the suspect exit his vehicle and flee on foot. Deputy Smith then exited his vehicle and followed the suspect through a wooded area and into a commuter lot.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance and their canine led deputies to a dumpster where the suspect was located and taken into custody around 10:47 p.m. The suspect, identified as Richard Lloyd Garrett, 39, of Spotsylvania told deputies he ran because his license was suspended. Deputies also detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the suspect.

Garrett was incarcerated at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. He is charged with reckless driving, driving suspended, driving under the influence, and felony eluding. At the time of arrest, the suspect was out on a bond from Prince William County on felony charges.